Who doesn’t know the centipedes? A long small animal which has a few pairs of legs and antennae. Yup, this insectivore animal is a fearsome predator for cockroaches, bedbugs, termites, and silverfish. Even though the centipedes are relatively small, they have an amazing speed when they are running. Moreover, the centipedes can also walk on the walls and even the ceilings. However, do you know the biggest centipede in the world? If you don’t have any idea about it, we are going to show you after this. In addition, this giant centipede will be able to make you shocked.

What is the biggest centipede in this world?

When we talk about the biggest centipede which live in this world, the answer is the Amazonian centipede. Here, this kind of centipede can have a length in around 26 centimeters. However, it can reach 30 centimeters as well. Similar with other centipedes, this gigant has an ability to run quickly, walk on the vertical surface, a pair of antennae. What makes this Amazonian centipede look different is the amount of the legs. Here, a giant centipede can have 21 to 23 pairs of legs. Not only that, this centipede’s head is covered by flat shield. In addition, this giant centipede is good at sensing the prey. It utilizes the antennae which has chemoreceptors.

What foods they eat?

As we know, centipedes are carnivorous. However, what foods you think which this giant centipede will eat? Yup, here your curiousity needs to be answered immediately. Here, this Amazonian centipede is not a picky predator. When they meet the prey which can be eaten as a meal, they will kill them. When the common foods such as cockroaches, termites, bedbugs, and silverfish, this giant centipede can feed on spiders, lizards, snakes, frogs, mice, bats, small birds, and even bats. When they are trying to kill bats, the Amazonian centipedes will hang on the ceiling to catch the bats.

How about the life cycle?

When the breeding season comes, the female Amazonian centipedes will release the hormone pheromones to attract the male centipedes. Then, the male centipedes will make a silk pad over the soil and release its sperms onto it – spermatophore. After that, the female centipedes will pick up the sperms and lay the eggs – which have been fertilized before– into the hole in the ground. Then, the female centipedes will cover the hole with the dirt. In this phase, the female centipedes will protect the eggs from the other animals and prevent them not to get infected with fungi.

As same as its size, the venom which the Amazonian centipedes have is pretty strong. A research has shown that the venom contains proteases, serotonin, acetylcholine, histamine, and cardiodepressant factor. The mixture of those substances will be dangerous for small animals. If you think the effect that we can get after getting a bite from the biggest centipede in the world, we will experience general weakness, chills, fever, swelling, and severe pain. On the other hand, if you have an allergy to the toxins, the effect can even be worse.